Puzzle
by HardfacedQueenofMisadventure
Summary: The story of Hatter and a classic children's toy. Potentially silly, definitely Alice/Hatter.


***throws fic* This didn't turn out the way I'd hoped at all, but it's not awful, so... enjoy?**

* * *

Hatter turns the multicoloured cube over in his hands, touching every surface with his fingertips, handling it like it's priceless or likely to shatter in his hands. The look on his face, you'd think he'd been handed the most incredible object in the world. It's understandable though; they probably didn't have anything like it back in Wonderland. She watches him from over the top of her book, and she can't help but smile at how completely innocent he looks.

"Wow… Alice," he marvels, gazing at it. One row of coloured squares moves in response to his prying fingers, and she can't hold back a grin at his yelp of surprise.

"Erm…" He holds it out to her, looking a little guilty. She chuckles a little at his expression, taking it from him gently.

"It's supposed to do that. See?" She shows him how every row and column spins 360 degrees, watching as his eyes widen with every brisk turn.

"That's amazing." He takes it back from her eagerly, transfixed by the spinning, amazed by the constant shift and change. She half-expects him to tire of it, anticipating the moment when his attention will slip, and he'll find something new and interesting to play with. Strangely, he doesn't, his eyes still fixated upon the simple toy.

After a few minutes, though, he speaks up again. "Alice?"

"Mm?"

"What exactly is this thing for?" She reluctantly pulls her eyes away from the book again, and sits up a little.

"It's a puzzle, Hatter. The idea is to match up all the colours so every side of the cube is all one colour."

"Ah." His eyes take on a slightly glazed look as he continues to ponder the small object.

"It's pretty hard, though. I've had that thing for years and I've never managed to finish it." The challenge in her tone clearly does not go unheard. A determined grin inches across his face, and he begins attacking it with renewed vigour. Certain that his attention is completely taken, she casts her eyes back to the pages in front of her, though she can't help watching him out of the corner of her eye every once in a while.

* * *

An indeterminate while later, he rouses her from an unexpected nap as he usually does, with a sly kiss to the cheek. He's beaming down at her, his dark eyes glittering with triumph.

"What?" Her reflexes are sleep-dulled, so when he tosses the cube at her it bounces off her chest, landing in her lap. She picks it up, staring at it in wide-eyed amazement.

"How did you…?" Every side is perfectly matched up, perfect and complete for the first time since she bought it on a whim four years ago in a junk store. He smiles, clearly proud with his achievement. She checks it closely for signs of misuse - no, none of the individual cubes have been played with or forced. He's actually gone and solved a Rubik's Cube. To be honest, she's a little surprised. Not to mention slightly embarrassed.

"That was fun! Dead simple, though. I don't know what you found so difficult." She raises an eyebrow at him, daring him to continue. True to form, he does.

"Honestly, you Oysters." The look on his face is nothing but playful, though. Well, two can play at that game, she thinks, seizing the cube. Hatter obviously picks up on her intentions because his smile recedes a little. She grips it with two hands, holding his gaze.

"Alice… no," he pleads. "That took me a whole 27 minutes." She smiles.

"Well, if it's so _simple…" _Her emphasis upon the single word makes him cringe slightly, and she can almost see tears in his eyes as she twists one section out-of-place. He lets out a melodramatic cry of anguish, half playing along, and half genuinely upset. She continues to scramble it, enjoying the series of expressions crossing his face. Finally, she's done, and she throws it back to him. "…do it again." She grins at his crestfallen expression. He stares at the puzzle, caresses its many sides for a few minutes, before tossing it aside and seizing her in a spontaneous embrace.

"I can think of a few other things I'd like to play with 27 minutes." His tone is devilish.

"Oh, really?" she enquires, arching into his touch a little. He nods.

"For example – this." He lets her go and crosses the room, picking up something else. When she lays eyes upon it, she can't hold back a groan.

"Hatter, put my phone down, _now."_

* * *

***deep breath* IhatethendingIhatetheendingIhatetheending.  
Now that's out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this oneshot. I actually wrote it a long while ago, when the Google homepage had a Rubik's Cube on it, but I neglected to publish it because I'm both insecure and just plain lazy. Please review; reviews are the only food that can keep my pet muse alive, and you wouldn't want to be responsible for the death of an innocent muse, would you? **


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